Microsoft Windows XP/Office 2003 End-of-Life Guidance

[Dos_Box]

Once every blue moon I actually get a useful TechNet email from Microsoft, and this is one of them. Microsoft have released a guide as to the what, why, when and 'what should I do?' as regards to the final nails being slammed in to the XP coffin and why are you still using Office 2003? This should be of use to many of you out there if only to print out and wave under the managements noses when they question the necessity of your upgrade program.

You can find the article here: Microsoft Ends Support of Windows XP, Office 2003 in 2014!

[pete]

Office 2003? A certain MSP has this in their email footer:

Note: We are a Microsoft Office site. Our base version is Office 2000. Please make sure that files you send can be read in this format.

 

Yes, really.

[K.C.Leblanc]

Office 2003? A certain MSP has this in their email footer:

 

 

Yes, really.

 

Is that a Microsoft MSP, or a member of the Scottish parliament?

[SYNACK]

Office 2003? A certain MSP has this in their email footer:

Note: We are a Microsoft Office site. Our base version is Office 2000. Please make sure that files you send can be read in this format.

 

Yes, really.

 

#!@%&*@#$%&)!#? Which blacksmithery and windmill farm do they expect to run with that.

[K.C.Leblanc]

#!@%&*@#$%&)!#? Which blacksmithery and windmill farm do they expect to run with that.

 

One that shuns Ami Pro, Wordperfect and Locoscript users?

Edited April 12, 2012 by K.C.Leblanc

[Michael]

I would put money on it though that users will continue to use XP and Office 2003 after the deadline. XP probably is one of if not the most popular version of Windows ever, due to the large delay in releases between XP and Vista. Many users of course skipped Vista, but not everyone is jumping to 7 and Office 2010 as Microsoft would like.

[Arthur]

I would put money on it though that users will continue to use XP and Office 2003 after the deadline.

It will be interesting to see how many 0-day exploits are being reserved for 09/04/2014 onwards for the people who continue using XP after this date.

[Michael]

It will be interesting to see how many 0-day exploits are being reserved for 09/04/2014 onwards for the people who continue using XP after this date.

 

I agree it's possible, but I still think 7 will have a majority share by 2014. Maybe 60/70% something like that.

[pete]

#!@%&*@#$%&)!#? Which blacksmithery and windmill farm do they expect to run with that.

 

[PiqueABoo]

It will be interesting to see how many 0-day exploits are being reserved for 09/04/2014 onwards for the people who continue using XP after this date.

 

Would be interesting to know how many 0-days were sold for serious money and are reserved for [whatever folk who pay serious money want them for]

[chrisredfield93]

Not being funny but where is our service pack 4? Now that has been long overdue but it looks as I seen mentioned online that with every release they try to get one less such as 2000 sp4, xp sp3, vista sp2 and current 7 sp1 if right I dont have 7 I am a xp and office 2003 fan and hardware and drivers and software will still be produced if there still a market looks to me they dont care that much for us techs on design or maintaine since it all going mickey mouse with the layout and make it harder for us old school give us best of both like you done in xp

[SYNACK]

There will be no SP4, XP has been superseeded twice and the only reason it got an SP3 was because of the work done by the secure computing team in MS and the fact they kept it around on lifesupport to put on netbooks.

 

Standard operating procedure now is two service packs and they made a big thing about the initial release of the latest ones 'being' SP1 level as they had done more testing (extencive beta and internally) so while there will probably be a Windows 7 SP2 there may not be.

 

Windows XP is very old and MS is not going to invest much more into it, there are many newer features that were never and will never be backported like the new DWM, DX11, IE9, WMP12 etc. Keeping it around even now is just digging yourself a bigger hole for later when you need to move for drivers and to actually use the enhanced tech in your newer pc rather than mising out on all the benifits of it.

[Michael]

I think it's safe to say there will be a Windows 7 SP2, as Microsoft have released updates labelled pre-SP2.

 

Windows XP - SP3 is its last SP so you'll just get a forever growing list of Security Hotfixes. The only possibility is Microsoft release an Update Rollup as they did Windows 2000.

 

Windows Vista - SP2, again the same as above.

 

Windows 7 - SP2 is to be released probably July/August/September 2012 as Windows 8 is due out October 2012.

[SYNACK]

I think it's safe to say there will be a Windows 7 SP2, as Microsoft have released updates labelled pre-SP2.

 

I also think they will but I am pretty sure that there are Vista pre sp3 patches floating around and its doubtful that it will get an SP3.

[Jollity]

It will be interesting to see how many 0-day exploits are being reserved for 09/04/2014 onwards for the people who continue using XP after this date.

 

I don't think they even have to find their own 0-day exploits. Wait for the first security patch day after the end of support. If you reverse engineer a patch for Vista/7, you will quite likely find a working exploit for XP.

[zag]

I bet they get close and then extend the deadline

[Michael]

I doubt Microsoft will. The amount of testing on the 11 year old OS must be frustrating and time consuming for software developers/testers. There's only so much you can patch an OS before moving to something more up-to-date and more secure from the beginning.

[jamesfed]

I bet they get close and then extend the deadline

 

I can't see that they would - if Microsoft wants to push on as a company they will have to let go of the past, ultimately it will be to the benefit of sysadmins everywhere as it will give them a reason to get the budget to replace aging PCs/move to VDI.

[Dos_Box]

I bet they get close and then extend the deadline

 

 

IIRC, they have already done this once.